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Home Health A to Z
Blisters
Blisters often heal on their own within a week. They can be painful while they heal, but you will not usually need to see a GP.
How you can treat a blister yourself
To protect the blister and help prevent infection:
Do
cover blisters with a soft plaster or padded dressing
wash your hands before touching a burst blister
allow the fluid in a burst blister to drain before covering it with a plaster or dressing
Don’t
do not burst a blister yourself
do not peel the skin off a burst blister
do not pick at the edges of the remaining skin
do not wear the shoes or use the equipment that caused your blister until it heals
A pharmacist can help with blisters
To protect your blister from becoming infected, a pharmacist can recommend a plaster or dressing to cover it while it heals.
A hydrocolloid dressing (a moist dressing) can protect the blister, help reduce pain and speed up healing.
Find a pharmacy
Check if you have a blister
Blisters are small pockets of clear fluid under a layer of skin.
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Blood blisters may look red or black and are filled with blood instead of clear fluid.
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An infected blister can be hot and filled with green or yellow pus. The surrounding skin may look red, but this can be hard to see on darker skin tones.
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Important
Do not ignore an infected blister. Without treatment it could lead to a skin or blood infection.
Non-urgent advice:
See a GP if:
a blister is very painful or keeps coming back
the skin looks infected – it's hot and the blister is filled with green or yellow pus
the skin around the blister looks red, but this can be harder to see on darker skin tones
a blister is in an unusual place – such as your eyelids, mouth or genitals
several blisters have appeared for no reason
a blister was caused by a burn or scald, sunburn, or an allergic reaction
Information:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: how to contact a GP
It's still important to get help from a GP if you need it. To contact your GP surgery:
visit their website
use the NHS App
call them
Find out about using the NHS during COVID-19
Treatment from a GP
A GP might burst a large or painful blister using a sterilised needle. If your blister is infected, they may prescribe antibiotics.
They can also offer treatment and advice if blisters are caused by a medical condition.
How to prevent blisters
Blisters develop to protect damaged skin and help it heal. They're mostly caused by friction, burns and skin reactions, such as an allergic reaction.
Blood blisters appear when blood vessels in the skin have also been damaged. They're often more painful than a regular blister.
If you often get friction blisters on your feet or hands:
wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes
wear new shoes for short periods of time, until they're comfortable
wear thick socks during exercise
dust talcum powder in your socks if you get sweaty feet
wear protective gloves when you exercise or if you use tools at work
Conditions that can cause blisters
Page last reviewed: 04 January 2021
Next review due: 04 January 2024
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